Firestarter
by Naomi Wiflath
Summary: McQueen continues helping the inhabitants of Radiator Springs on his spare time; But after another paint job by Ramone, A mysterious scar appears on McQueens side. Horrible Blackouts and nightmares begin to Plague him as his past reveals itself.
1. Chapter 1

Firestarter

A Cars Fanfiction

By: Naomi Wiflath

_Well, we've been driving this road for a mighty long time_

_Paying no mind to the signs_

_Well, this neighborhood's changed_

_It's all been rearranged_

_We left that team somewhere behind._

_Slow down, you're gonna crash,_

_Baby you're a-screaming it's a blast, blast, blast_

_Look out babe, you've got your blinders on_

_Everybody's looking for a way to get real gone_

_Real gone. – **Sheryl Crow Real Gone**_

"I assure you, I don't mind really." The racing auto said reassuringly, shrugging in the only way a vehicle can, which is a forward motion followed by a casual glance. His shining coat of ruby set him apart from most, along with his streamlined body, garnished with white accents along his sides which stretched from the from wheel well backward. Similar to a classic Corvette's style of paint.

"Alrigh' man, but I haven't done this in years." Replied the 1959 Impala, using his hydraulics to get a higher perspective of his canvas. Today he was the startling hue of orange, fading to purple at his fins. He squinted at the racecar, before returning to ground level. "This is what we gotta' do man, we need to strip off your old coat of paint so there can be a nice even finish with the new one, it'll be so sweet you wont know what hit ya."

The Impala worked diligently on sandblasting the paint off, while the car itself slept. It took a few hours before the racecar awoke, now sporting a new red finish, garnished with tribal blades of yellow arching from hood to trunk. A silver lightning bolt added the final touch on each door, a trademark that couldn't be left out.

"Check it out McQueen, you look snaaaazay." The Impala said with a heavy Puerto Rican accent, pushing a large mirror on wheels over to him. The Racecar admired himself in the mirror, jumping to the side and exclaiming 'Ka-Chow!'

"Ill admit Ramone, this is some of your best work yet, I'm impressed." Said McQueen, before making faces in the gigantic mirror.

"Don't mention it man, it was great exercising the ol' art muscles. By the way, that must have been some nasty fall you had there." McQueen stopped growling into the mirror to give Ramone a quizzical look.

"Nasty fall? What are you talking about?"

"Look." He nudged McQueen to the right angle, so the racecar had perfect view of a jagged form stretching itself from above the left front tire to his tail light. It was a horrid and deformed bolt of dull silver, like a corrupted lightning strike. McQueen gave Ramone a displeased look.

"What is this? You missed a spot… or Spots." He said. Ramone growled.

"Ramone NEVER misses a spot." He said, deeply offended. McQueen backed away a little with a pained look on his face.

"Woah woah woah, I didn't mean you weren't a good body artist. Its just-." He turned and looked at the abomination in the mirror again. "...What is this?" Ramone gave an automobile shrug, holding out a wheel.

"I have no idea man, but I added the silver lightning bolts to try to disguise it. But no matter how many coats of paint I applied, that damn thing still showed through!" He stomped a front tire in frustration. McQueen frowned, continuing to examine this bizarre scar of metal. He did kind of remember something having to do with the scar, but couldn't put his tongue on anything but familiarity.

"So, what's it from man?" Ramone asked, breaking the silence.

"I…" McQueen was cut off by a knocking on the garage door. Ramone hit the door opener, revealing a pale blue Porsche in all her glory. She gave McQueen a gracious smile, and pulled up to admire his new look.

"Nice paint, Stickers." She said, circling him once before placing a friendly peck on his cheek. He blushed, although the only way you should tell through the red paint is to feel how hot his face had become. He still wasn't used to sally randomly doing that, especially in public.

He shook off his stupor, to find her waiting at the door, looking back at him in a sign to follow. McQueen gave Ramone a nod of thanks before following her outside. It was dusk, and everything was painted in dusky reds and oranges.

"Where are we going, Sally?" He asked as they pulled onto route 66. "Aren't you busy with your hotel?"

"Oh I have Luigi holding things up for me." She replied simply, giving him a playful nudge before speeding off, Her pinstripe tattoo the last thing he can see. He speeds off after her, and they race on the now quiet Rout 66.

After a turn onto a dirt road through a forest of sequoia cacti and stone, It struck McQueen where they were headed.

"Why are we here?" He asked as they pulled up to their final destination, the edge of the giant canyon. He looked down, where the giant crater stood, like someone grabbed a chunk of the earth and took it away with them. Lightning looked back at Sally, whose face was now bent into a look of concern.

"Stickers… Lightning… I overheard you and Ramone at the body shop." She paused, and stared at him in silence. He had a pained expression on his face when he turned his wound to the moon, where it shined dully against his iridescent new paint.

"I… I know I can remember… Its…-." Lightning cut himself off, as the world suddenly grew dark. He couldn't see, but felt an immense fear so strong Lightning couldn't help but panic.

"_Sally! Sally!" _He called into the darkness, but couldn't see anything. He sped through the darkness, franticly searching for her and running at the same time. McQueen was lost, he didn't know where he was going. All he could do was call her name.

"_Sally! SALLY!"_


	2. Chapter 2

_Authors Note: Sorry for the short chapters, I'm not really known for that. I have the stomach Flu, so I cant sit long and write._

Firestarter

A Cars Fanfiction

By: Naomi Wiflath

_You swear you recall nothing at all  
That could make you come back down  
You made up your mind to leave it all behind  
Now you're forced to fight it out  
You fall away from your past  
But it's following you –_** Fall Away, The Fray**

* * *

There was a murmur, some sort of conversation between two people. In the mists of unreality it slowly got closer, till the sound of it hurt.

McQueen opened his eyes groggily, squinting from the lamplight. Two blurry figures were having some sort of heated conversation before him. One of them must have noticed, cause they came up closer, making them easy to see. It was a blue 1951 Hudson Hornet, giving him a worried look that McQueen hadn't ever seen before. The silver grill and bumper kinked in a way to hive the impression of worry and relief at the same time.

"Boy, you sure gave us all quite a scare." The Hornet said as the second car pulled into view. It was a silver C6 Corvette, accented with black and blue tribal blades from hood to bumper.

"Bajeasus Lightning, what happened to you?" She asked stupidly. The Hudson hornet gave her a warning glare before returning his attention to Lightning once more.

"Sally notified us that you had suddenly began running around yelling wildly. Good thing Mater and Naomi found you, or you would have driven yourself over the canyon edge." The old racer said.

"You certainly put up a fight. Mater had to pull and I had to push in order to get you back into town. You were completely out of it." Said the corvette, pleased to be able to add her two cents into the important conversation.

McQueen felt nauseous, and didn't know what they were talking about. His head pounded like it was being battered by hail, and his gas tank churned unpleasantly.

"Doc… I… Where am I?" he asked, closing his eyes to make the room stop spinning.

"Your in my repair shop. And by the looks of it, you aren't in any shape to be runnin' around. You are welcome to stay here and get some rest." Said Doc, as more of a command then a suggestion. Lightning just didn't have it in him to argue, and thus let himself drift into sweet, sweet sleep.

The corvette bit her lip, trying not to let all her other questions burst out. Doc could tell, and shooed her out the back door, almost shutting it on her bumper. She grumbled sourly as she pulled onto the main street. Everyone in town was crowded in front of docs minuscule windows. One thing particularly bizarre about the picture, was the rusty old tow truck, holding a little blue lift on his tow cable. On the other side of the road, sitting quietly was the 2002 Porsche. She didn't move at all, but stared blankly at Doc's building. Naomi realized, that she probably didn't even see all the hubbub as the Lift on the tow cable lost its balance and toppled onto a 1949 Mercury Curser Police car.

"Mater! Stop droppin' things on me!" It exclaimed angrily. The Mercury Curser was mostly black, with a white door panel that said 'sheriff' on it. Next to each wheel was a set of strange looking wires, which were actually curb feelers. The rusty old toe truck swung around, looking extremely guilty.

"Sorreh' sheriff'. I didn't mean tuh. I jus wanna know if Ligtnin' ter… is ok." He said sadly, looking at the ground and pushing dirt around with his front tire. A red 1960 fire engine, whom was standing amongst them with a quivering lip, suddenly sped away, bawling.

"Dis is most distressing! Guido, let us retire to the shop and hope McQueen is well." declared the yellow 1959 Fiat 500 in a thick Italian accent. The little blue forklift followed him loyally as they slowly made their way to their store, which was called 'Casa Della Tires'.

The Rusty Tow truck's lip began to quiver, before he too started crying.

"Wher are ya buddy! Yeh can leave me here all alooone!" He wailed dramatically. The Sheriff gave him a pat with a tire.

"There there Mater, the Doc will see what's up with em'…" He said, before a sad sniff.

"I'm telling ya man… it's all a conspiracy." Said a 1960's VW Bus, who was covered in splashes of hippie paint over a light turquoise base. Most prominently noticeable was the word 'Peace' painted on his side.

"You think everything is a conspiracy you damn hippie." Snapped the Hybrid Willies army jeep.

"I unno man, this is really freaky. Lightnin' has never acted like this before." Said Ramone, now sporting a docile midnight blue paintjob. The pale 1950's show car beside him nodded in agreement.

"If this is a party, it sure is a lame one." Said the old Model T as she sputtered and jerked about; her comment was completely serious. The maroon 1991 Chrysler Acclaim with a bent antenna gave the Model T a look of horrified disbelief.

All the cars continued to talk amongst themselves in front of docs office. None seemed to notice sally's distress. Naomi pulled up in front of her, and waved a tire to catch the Porsche's attention.

"I can see you, Naomi." She said, keeping to her distant gaze. Naomi waited for a moment, and was about to turn away when Sally spoke again.

"That mark…" She paused, returning her gaze to the present.

"That mark?" Naomi asked.

"On lightning… It suddenly appeared about a week ago." Sally finished, unsure if what she said was actually correct. Naomi furrowed her brow in confusion.

"You mean, he's never always had it?" The Porsche was surprised by the comment.

"N-no…" She stuttered. It was Naomi's turn to be surprised.

"I've always seen him with it… I just thought that's how it was, and have never gotten the chance to ask him about it…"

"This concludes my theory to be correct then." Said the female lawyer.

"Excuse me?" Naomi asked, raising a brow.

"I overheard Ramone after Lightning let him do another paint job. He suddenly noticed a scar, and that was yesterday. I think only some people can see it." She said.

"Think about what your saying Sally." Said Naomi. "A mark cant just be visible to 'some' people. Maybe its just no one has noticed it before."

"Do you really think no one would notice something so obvious? He's a race car, he's on TV, he's been seen by millions. And your telling me _all_ of them just didn't _notice_."

Naomi frowned, unable to counter the all too true comment.

"Well…" Naomi said finally. "What do _you _think it means?" Sally gave Naomi a sad and worried look.

"If only I knew…" She said quietly. "If I only I knew what was going on… Oh Lightning…" Sally turned and drove quickly away in the direction of the Wheel Well. Naomi sighed. She hadn't been here long, and already trouble was brewing. The Corvette could feel something ominous approaching Radiator springs, and the realization of it made her very uneasy.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Back By Popular demand. I give you the next chapter in the Firestarter saga. I'd like to note that Naomi's part in the plot has changed from the original plan. It should be noted that- those who are familiar with my work know she always makes some sort of appearance. They are all parts of an even grander scheme. Naomi exists with her own set continuity-, which allows her to mingle throughout many worlds. Aka, 90 of the time she did not originate from the world of which a story is taking place. One day I hope to share it with you but- that's for another time. For now, let us return to the world of Radiator Springs…

Firestarter

A Cars Fanfic

By: Naomi Wiflath

_Shiny diamonds,  
Like the eyes of a cat in the black and blue,  
Something is coming for you._

_Race for the morning,  
You can hide in the sun 'till you see the light,  
Oh we will pray it's all right._

_Gotta get away- get away._

_Between the velvet lies,  
There's a truth that's hard as steel.  
The vision never dies,__  
Life's a never ending wheel.**  
Holy Diver – Dio**_

The C6 Corvette's paint glimmered in the sunrise- dappled with droplets of dew. Hazel scanned the rugged horizon, as if searching for something. The morning light set the surrounding red stone aglow, not unlike a raging _fire_.

Naomi recently felt the need to wake up early, and scan both heavens and earth for something. For what; even she didn't know. But over her many travels, she has learned to listen to her intuition. It wasn't accurate in the sense that, Naomi knew what would happen. Rather, she sensed the approach of something dark.

Female sports car hadn't been to Radiator Springs for long, and yet the locals had, for the most part accepted her as one of their own. Small town kindness, she mused. Even if the 'town' would be a city soon- as it grows every day with Lightning's fame.

Naomi looked over the canyon edge, expression a quirked frown. Could she really keep going on like this? Why did it seem like wherever she would go, trouble followed? Auto was overcome with a sense of helplessness. She had no idea if that really was the case- nor a clue as to how to deal with it.

Slowly, she backed around; so that she could face that was left of the darkened sky. Only the brightest of stars were able to shine through the sunlight. It made her feel small. A pawn of destiny.

It was a humbling thought, which lingered as she made her way through the countryside and back to town.

"Lightning…. "

"….ngh."

"_Lightning_…."

"…."

"Wake up!"

The race car awoke with a start- only to find Sally parked in front of him. She grinned, before giving him a peck on the cheek. "Gotta wake up stickers, we promised Mater we'd help him clear one of the empty lots today." She said. Lightning managed to get his bearings, relieved that it was just Sally. The red auto grinned sleepily. Just the sight of her made him smile.

"I'm up, I'm up." He said, as she allowed him to pull out of the room. Reserved permanently for him within the wheel well. Lightning was greeted with a lovely view of the canyon heights; he took in a deep breath of the fresh air. Sally gave him a playful nudge with her tire.

"Come on! Lets go!" she seemed rather enthusiastic about simply going to help Mater. Lightning shrugged it off as normal. She cared a lot for the well being of the town.

The pale blue Porsche set a quick pace for the two of them. Together they followed the winding road down the side of the mountain.

Lightning had become humbled by his bizarre episode- and wasn't as loud mouthed as usual. He kept to himself and was often lost in thought. Although he tried his best not to think about what had happened that night- he couldn't help but feel… feel… He didn't even know what to call it. Like something had been left undone a long time ago…

His dull gray scar glinted in the morning sunlight.

Before Lightning knew it, they were at their destination. On the edge of town there were numerous empty plots full of discarded tires, rusty spare parts and oil cans. Mater was dragging a large tractor tire towards a small pile. He excitedly dropped what he was doing to greet them.

"Ayye, I wus wonderin' whar yous twos love burds were!" Mater chuckled, tow cable swinging about.

"So Mater- where should we start first?" Asked Sally. Mater pointed a tire towards one of the piles.

"I jus' been sorten' n' gatherin em' up so's they can be pick'd up tomorra'." McQueen rolled forward.

"Alright then, lets get started." The racer said, sort of looking forward to something constructive to do. It wasn't racing but- who's counting?

The work was pretty simple- involving mostly some pushing and shoving. A bit of tugging here and there. It actually was taking longer then anyone had expected.

"Oh my! I forgot I have a meeting in town!" Sally exclaimed. "Oh I hope you guys don't mind- I'll try to be back as quickly as possible, ok?" She gave her companions a guilty look. McQueen looked to Mater.

"Actually, don't worry about it. I think me and Mater can take it from here." Lightning said- Mater nodding so much in agreement that you could hear loose parts shaking about. Sally looked back and fourth between the tow of them.

"Well, if you insist. How about later we meet up at Flo's. Drinks on me!" the powder blue Porsche then turned and sped off on the black top towards the center of town.

When sally turned the corner, she slowed down to a steady drive. Her smile long replaced with wrinkles of worry.

She was still terribly worried- the happy façade was on Doc's orders. Speaking of which, she had arrived to his office. The back door was open- and was met with a grunted 'come on in' from the building's depths. Sally had sort of fibbed to her friends. She was going to a meeting- but it consisted of only her and Doc.

The Hudson hornet was parked by a low table covered in papers and old articles; his gaze left the one he was currently reading as Sally parked nearby.

"Oh good you're here." He said gruffly, rolling over to shut the garage style door. The hornet parked by the window, looking out at the busy town.

"So?" He asked. "What's Hot Rod been up to lately. Any more episodes?" Doc was to the point, as usual. Sally tried to stay positive.

"No. He seems to be returning back to normal. He isn't quite as loud as he used to be." She gave a halfhearted chuckle that trailed off into silence. The Hudson Hornet grunted. "Could be for the better." He gave her a reassuring smile, which didn't appear to convince her.

"Is he going to be alright?" She asked. Doc's gaze returned out the window.

"I'll be honest with you. I'm not sure." The Hornet's words seemed to sting; and again the little sports car's face became clouded with worry. "Although…" He paused for effect- easily gaining Sally's full attention. "I've always been curious as to where hot blood is from." He quirked his grill in thought. "I had always figured he had been raised as a spoiled city boy. But spoiled city boys don't get scars and have episodes." Doc continued. "The key to this is in his past. Hmm… Repressed memories?"

Sally couldn't even fathom what this could possibly mean. And it was true that, she had never asked him about his past, his child hood- anything. She doubted anyone did at all.

"Sally." Said Doc, getting the female's attention. "I want you to ask Lightning about it. And for you to let me know what you find." Sally gave him an apprehensive look.

"I don't know. Won't that aggravate his… his… condition?"

"We need more information before we can find a solution to this. And you're the best car for the job." Doc said matter of factly.

"But-" Sally was cut off by a pounding at the door. Doc opened it to find Luigi completely flustered.

"You'a must com'e quickly! Light'aning is acting cookoo!" Doc and Sally need only a quick glance at each other before speeding down the road towards the vacant lot- leaving Luigi befuddled in a cloud of dust.

A/N: Edited to fix some errors. Check out the Firestarter OST: /user/27089718/view


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Chapters 1 and 2 are being revised as we speak. And Chapter 3 has had some typos fixed. You can now listen to the Firestarter OST here: /user/27089718/view

Please R&R.

Firestarter

A Cars Fanfic

By: Naomi Wiflath

_Dead I fall asleep,_

_Is this all a dream?_

_Wake me up,_

_I'm living a nightmare!_

**Time of Dying – Three Days Grace**

* * *

"_Sally!? Sally where are you_?!"

Lightning sped through the burning city, swerving around scattered debris and calling out her name. His insides churned with fear; fear of her being hurt and- fear of being found.

He paused, the road blocked by a burning telephone pole. Everywhere he could see was a roaring conflagration- a drastic opposite to the moonless night sky. Lightning turned around, and sped away down another street. The young auto was confused; he didn't know where he was going. All he knew was that- he had to find her and get away.

He squinted at a dark object blocking the road ahead. Its ebony paint mirrored the fire around it. Lightning skidded to a halt as an engine roared. Headlights flashed on- crimson gaze struck blue. McQueen cried out in panic, before gunning it down another road. He swerved and turned- literally burning rubber on the blacktop.

_"Drive, drive little red. Drive as fast as you can."_

Lightning flew over a hilly suburban street- making sparks fly as he landed. He could hear screaming- he could see cars in the streets, in their homes; all of them aflame. A building nearby exploded- the dark vehicle bursting forth from the fire. Lightning spun out trying to avoid it- and found himself turned backwards. The dark auto had landed safely- and made a beeline towards him. He spun 180 degrees and rocketed forward- as the dark car crashed through a pile of flaming debris like it was nothing.

"Get away! Stay away from me!" Lightning cried as he narrowly missed another car's burning frame. The heat of the flames stung- his tires beginning to melt. The dark car caught up quickly- and drove side by side lightning. It seemed like no matter how fast Lightning tried to go, how much he swerved and turned- the dark auto met every move.

_"Is this all you've got- little red?"_

The dark racer swerved- smashing into Lightning's side. He cried out- losing control. Lightning flipped into the air and through the flames, crashing hard and rolling multiple times. It all happened so fast that- he was in shock before the pain even hit him. Lightning painfully opened his eyes, and found himself at a cliff overlooking the rest of the burning city. An engine blared from nearby.

"_You've lost the race, little red."_ The dark car sped forward, slamming hard onto Lightning's side and- sending him flying over the cliff and down into the city. Lightning cried out as the other car faded from view.

"Lightning!"

The crimson racecar returned to reality with a start; he blinked wearily as he gathered his bearings. Mater had unceremoniously hooked his tow cable on Lightning's rear axel. Sheriff had been shoving him backwards- with Naomi right behind him. The two of them had accidentally shoved lightning into the back of Mater- whom yelped. The racecar seemed unconcerned by this, however.

"Give him some air!" the Porsche exclaimed, shooing them away as she drove to his side. Lightning gave a relived sigh.

"Oh, there you are Sally." He breathed, enjoying her touch. His eyes fell closed again- as he quickly fell into a blissful, exhausted sleep.

Naomi and the others were left behind as Mater towed Lightning back to Doc's- with both the judge and town lawyer on their tail. It was just past noontime as storm clouds began to settle in over the valley and surrounding canyons. The Sheriff sniffled a bit.

"That boy is even more ill then I thought." He sad to no one in particular. Ramone sat next to his wife- sporting maroon and white.

"Who'da thought a paint job would be so catastrophic, man." He said. Flo nudged him.

"Its not your fault husband." She reassured him. Naomi frowned, but didn't really have anything positive to say to them. They slowly broke away to get back to their busy shops, leaving Naomi alone in the empty lot. The dusty earth was covered in deep tracks from the struggle; the late August sun beating down on the valley.

Naomi slowly pulled away, and started into town. The radio was playing outside Lizzie's shop- where the old model T sat napping.

_"…And the wildfires continue to spread across the country, requiring thousands of cars to evacuate their homes and destroying millions of acres of habitat. State officials have reportedly declared a state of emergency in northern California, Washington and Montana. State park officials stated that it was only a matter of time before such an outbreak occurred; with the dry windy weather and frequent lightning storms. Lawmakers have already passed an Aid bill which will grant extra funds towards the firefighting effort. The fires have been deadly- although there has been no official count of the dead…" _

Naomi continued to flo's, where she topped off her tank and treated herself to a quart of oil as she mused about the situation. Lightning certainly was an important figure for the town. Not only a source of tourism but- a loyal friend to the inhabitants. Naomi never really got the chance to sit and talk to him one on one. But the idea seemed strange to her- like she was intruding on something important to the town. She did her best to help out and befriend its residents, yet she always felt a bit estranged. Of course, it was always like that with her.

Naomi paid Flo and took to the blacktop out of Radiator Springs. She followed route 66 to the interstate- where she headed northwest. The C6 Corvette felt it was time for a bit of a road trip; and that she could be useful elsewhere. And perhaps a solution to this 'problem' would come to her with some thinking time while on the road.

* * *

Doc sat in silence- brow wrinkled as he looked over the silvery mark that stretched itself across Lightning's side. A droplet of water rolled downward- bursting into a wisp of steam upon contact to the abnormal metal.

The Hudson hornet backed away from the sleeping racer, and returned to his desk full of papers. He had been searching for some sort of clue amongst the articles about Lightning. He certainly never was a modest car, soaking up all the limelight when he could. Well, before he got a reality check in Radiator Springs. But in all the interviews, all the behind the scene looks; there was absolutely nothing about his past. It was as if he suddenly came into being only a few years ago.

Doc turned, and watched the sleeping auto again. Even though it hadn't been very long… Lightning was sort of like a son to him. And now it seemed like the boy was falling apart for no apparent reason. It really was a diagnosis unknown.

The hornet harrumphed, as stubborn as ever. Like he was just going to sit around and let his… his son fall to pieces before him. Yea, there had to be a way. The doctor glanced out the window, where rain was beginning to sprinkle against the windows. He drove over to the door, which was left slightly ajar. There in the rain, Sally still sat waiting. She looked on the verge of tears.

"Boy." He said to Lightning quietly. "You had better hang in there."


End file.
